Liverpool trail in race for Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez as they fail to meet fee

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s unwillingness to meet the £25.5 million
asking price for Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez has allowed Manchester
City to move ahead in the race to sign the Argentine, while Chelsea and Real
Madrid are also interested parties.

Up for auction: Carlos Tevez is likely to be sold to the highest bidder should Manchester United fail to make their loan agreement with the player permanentPhoto: AP

By Telegraph staff

10:10AM BST 02 Jun 2009

Tevez’s representatives will meet United chief executive David Gill tomorrow to discuss the forward’s future, though privately Tevez holds out little hope of United coming to an agreement that would see him remain at Old Trafford beyond the end of the month, according to a report in the Independent newspaper.

United, who have already paid around £10 million in fees during the player’s two year loan at the club, have been trying to negotiate a reduced fee for the player, but with City more than willing to pay the asking price, that appears unlikely to bear fruit.

City would also be able to offer Tevez vastly inflated wages and the Argentine’s sense of frustration with United, with whose fans he enjoys an excellent relationship, may make the controversial move across the city more feasible.

Real and Chelsea remain in contention but the London club’s pursuit of other high profile attacking options, such as AC Milan playmaker Kaka, means Tevez’s chances of being a regular starter at Stamford Bridge, a key consideration after being relegated to the Old Trafford bench for much of the season, appear limited.

Kia Joorabchian, who leads a consortium that holds Tevez’s economic rights, is confident both clubs would match the figure demanded and therefore is in a strong bargaining position with both Liverpool and United.

United, though reluctant to let Tevez go, especially to one of their Premier League rivals, appear to have reasoned the money saved would be better spent strengthening a midfield that was so comprehensively outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League final.

The dominance of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez may in part be explained by the news that United midfielder Michael Carrick was playing with a broken toe.

It remains unclear whether the injury predated the final or was picked up during the match in Rome but may go some way to explain a poor showing by the former West Ham midfielder, who would have been in a considerable amount of pain.